Dar es Salaam, May 30 -- REFEREEING has always been a lightning rod in football and recent controversies in African competitions have reignited a fierce debate about fairness, bias and the role of technology.

Despite tools like the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), questions around consistency and accountability refuse to go away.

Accuracy vs perception Statistically, referees perform remarkably well; studies by Sky Sports and CAF show they average about five errors per match, translating to an accuracy rate of 98 per cent.

Yet, under the pressure of international tournaments, error margins can rise dramatically, with research showing accuracy dropping to as low as 80% in high-stake environments.

VAR: Solution or smokescreen?

VAR was de...